You'll Always Be My Little Girl
by CharmingsDaughter
Summary: Charming and Snow raise Emma in the Enchanted forest with the threat of Regina and King George looming. They have wanted to kill Emma since she was a child in order to take away Snow and Charming's happiness but Snow and Charming have always protected Emma. However that has become a lot harder with Emma becoming older and wanting her independence. I do not own OUAT or charactors
1. Chapter 1

**Princess Emma**

 **I got this idea from reading other fanfiction when recovering from strep. I loved the ones that talked about how the Charming's raising Emma in the Enchanted Forest but I felt like they were missing something so I had to write it. I don't know where it's going so just roll with me.**

 **Charming and Snow raise Emma in the Enchanted forest with the threat of Regina and King George looming. They have wanted to kill Emma since she was a child in order to take away Snow and Charming's happiness but Snow and Charming have always protected Emma. However that has become a lot harder with Emma becoming older and wanting her independence. Baby Neal and Hook will show up in this story as well.**

 **I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the Characters I just love them!**

Snow heard bickering coming from down the hall. She loved her children but when they got into it she was ready to pull her hair out. Emma may have been older than Neal but David had recently told him that he was supposed to always protect his sister and Emma did not take too kindly to his antics. He would follow her around all the time and stop her from doing anything he felt may be remotely dangerous or against David's order.

David loved it but Emma was ready to lock him in a closet which had already happened twice last week and Snow felt that it was happening again for the third time.

"LET ME OUT!" Neal cried from inside the wardrobe. Emma had showed him in there and placed a chair up under the handles to keep him from being able to get out as she lounged on her bed admiring her work.

"Not happening" Emma responded happy to finally have Neal out from under her feet

"I'm supposed to protect you and I can't do dat from inside here" Neal shouted.

"That's kind of the point you idiot" Emma yelled back. She was just waiting for him to eventually either fall asleep or just stop talking so she could finally sneak out and do what she wanted

"Emma Ruth..." Emma heard her mother's voice echo down the hall making Emma jump off the bed and run for the wardrobe to let Neal out before she saw what she did. However she wasn't fast enough as Snow walked in just as Emma had put her hand on the chair

"EMMA! First off stop calling your brother names and second stop locking him in your wardrobe!" She scolded her daughter as she pulled the chair out form under the handles on the wardrobe followed by Neal's clumsy exit.

"Emma I have to protect you! Dad said so!" Neal said crossing his arms and stomping his foot.

"Neal you are so annoying! GO AWAY!" Emma said bending down and shouting directly into her little brothers face

"NO!" Neal yelled back

"ENOUGH!" Snow said causing the pair to stop and stair at their mother. "I can't handle this you two! Your arguing is getting out of hand" She turned first to her son. "Neal, I understand you want to protect your sister and that is very noble of you. But you also have to remember that sometimes your sister needs some space to herself. How about you put off protecting her to only times when we are outside the palace?"

Neal took a minute and thought about what his mother said. He wanted to protect his sister like his father told him but his mom might have had a point, Emma was pretty boring when she was just sitting in her room. "Okay mommy, I can do that" and with that the little man was off

"Now for you young lady..."

"THANK YOU!" Emma said flinging herself at her mother

"Oh..." Snow said a bit taken a back by her daughter's reaction

"I know I shouldn't call him names or lock him in a wardrobe but he was driving me absolutely mad! I'll apologize, I'll take a slap on the wrist whatever you come up with for punishment but I couldn't take one more day of him as my shadow!" Emma spat out from sheer frustration

"Okay...I need to take a minute. I was not expecting this reaction" Snow said completely confused by her daughter. After a beat she finally spoke "Alright, I'm going to act like all this never happened and just ask that you stop calling your brother names and locking him in various pieces of furniture...And your welcome" Snow said as she was walking out of the room but turned to give her daughter a sly smile

"This is why I love you!" Emma said feeling the relief of no longer having her brother following her every where she went. She knew this was her time to finally get some peace and quiet as well as some time away from the palace.

Emma hated how any time her family went anywhere they were always surrounded by a huge group of people. The only place she could be alone was in her room, or it was until her dad sicked her little brother on her.

She was almost thirteen years old and she felt that her parents were being completely unfair making her always have to be chaperoned everywhere she went. She understood when she was a child but she was almost a teenager. She wanted to be treated like an adult. She decided she would just have to show her parents just how adult she was.

Before she could start getting her riding gear on her mother popped her head into her room giving her a start. "Hey Emma" Snow said

"MOM!" Emma yelled startled

"Oh, Emma I'm sorry I scared you. I just wanted to let you know your father and I have a meeting with the royal council. If you and Neal need anything Sophie will be looking after you both. I trust you and your brother can play nice and not kill each other until we are adjourned?"

Sophia was Emma and Neal's nanny since Emma was a baby and watched over them any time their parents were attending to official royal business although they did their best to always have one of them be there for Emma and Neal whenever possible if not them then it was Sophie but their Aunt Red, Grannie or their seven Uncles were always a special treat.

"As long as he leaves me alone then he can continue to breath another day" Emma responded gathering her riding suit behind her wardrobe door out of sight of her mother so she could change and be out the door as soon as possible.

"I already talked to him and he agreed to leave you alone. I'm running late but I love you" Snow said as she left Emma's room

"Love you!" Emma yelled back as she began immediately changing into her riding uniform. As soon as she was changed she poked her head out into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear and immediately b-lined for the staircase she knew would get her out of the castle and toward the stables

She kept looking behind her to be sure she wasn't followed as she made her way to the stables. As soon as she was sure the coast was clear she got buttercup out of her stall and pet her nose before getting her saddled and taking off.

Emma had never felt so free as she rode to the edge of the palace grounds before finding the far gate that was never guarded. She had slipped the key from one of the guards a few weeks before waiting for the exact moment that she would be able to make her escape.

OUAT

"Princess?" Sophia said poking her head into Emma's room to check on her. She knew that Emma didn't need her very much anymore but she also knew that Emma had her own way of getting into trouble. When she was not given a response she open the door further and began to look around. Not seeing the princess she began looking up and down the halls and in each room including Neal's room where she found the little prince playing.

"Well hello little prince. Have you seen your big sister?" Sophia asked as calmly as she could as to not alarm the boy

"She was in her room last time I saw her. My mom said I have to leave her alone for right now" Neal said not looking up from the page he was coloring

"Okay, thanks Neal. You doing okay?" She asked trying to keep him in his blissful state

"Yep!" He said giving her a thumbs up.

As Sophia began to walk out Neal looked up "Sophia is Emma okay?" he asked with a bit of concern in his voice

"Oh yes she's fine. I think we just crossed paths and I missed her on my way to check on you but I'm headed to her room right now to do so. Okay?" Sophia said hoping that Neal would take her answer for now

"Can I come with you?" Neal said perking up. He figured his mom couldn't be mad at him for checking on his sister if he was doing it with Sophia.

"Why don't you stay here and finish coloring?" Sophia said knowing that she was now going to have to get word to the King and Queen that their daughter was missing and did not want Neal to be concerned with such things.

"But I miss my sister!" Neal said walking up to Sophia and giving her his best puppy dog eyes

"Next time little prince okay?" Sophia said placing her hands on Neal's head

"Fine..." Neal said a bit defeated and returned to his coloring page

Sophia quickly exited his room and made her way to where the Royal council was holding their meeting and asked the guards to notify the King and Queen of Emma's unknown whereabouts. David and Snow quickly rushed out of the meeting and were out in the hall within moments

OUAT

Emma had never felt so free in her life. She loved the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair and the smell of the meadow. She and buttercup where one being making their way along. Emma was starting to wonder what her parents found so wrong with her having this little bit of freedom as there was no one even remotely in sight that could harm her and even if there was she would have no problem outrunning them on buttercup

After a little while buttercup had slowed down and they had come to a small stream running through the middle of the meadow so Emma jumped off and led buttercup over to get a drink. She patter her horse and got out the brush to clean off some of the small bugs and twings and such that had gotten stuck to her fur.

Suddenly Emma heard a noise coming from the woods to her left. She quickly mounted buttercup and was about to gallop away when she saw a boy who could not have been much older then herself bringing his own horse to the same stream

"Hello?" Emma said a bit cautious

"Well hello there. I'm sorry to scare you. I didn't expect to see anyone out here" the young man said

"Neither did I Emma responded" she dismounted buttercup and allowed her to rest a bit longer as she went back to brushing her mane.

"I'm Thomas" the young man said after a moment of awkward silence

"I'm..." Emma paused. She wasn't sure if she should tell the young man her real name in case he recognized it and started treating her different

"I'm Mary" Emma said nervously

"Hi Mary. it's very nice to meet you" Thomas said with a slight bow. Emma answered with a small bow as well and they went back to the uncomfortable silence

"Well I better get going now" Emma said finally becoming too uncomfortable with the awkwardness

"May I see you again?" Thomas said looking up at Emma as she mounted buttercup

"We'll see" She replied

"Meet me here tomorrow, same time" Tomas said eagerly

"I'll do my best" Emma said with a small smile as her face started to blush

"Goodbye Mary" Thomas called after her. Emma just looked back with a smile and rode off back toward the palace. She knew it wouldn't be long until Sophia or her parents noticed she was missing

OUAT

"Sophia what do you mean Emma is missing?" Snow said as she began to panic

"Snow it's okay, we will find her" David said signaling for one of the guards to follow him

"I'm so sorry your majesty! I should have never let her out of my sight" Sophia said as she finally allowed her own panic to rise to the surface

Snow saw the fear in the woman's eyes and placed her hands on her arms "Sophia it is not your fault. Emma would have done this even if David and I had been watching her. We don't hold it against you in any way. You have been nothing but faithful to our family and we do not take that for granted"

"I do appreciate it your majesty but I still feel responsible" Sophia said looking at the ground

"Please don't! David will find Emma and bring her back safely! I have no doubt about that. Now would you mind going to keep an eye on Neal? I'm going go speak to David before he goes" Snow said giving the woman a kind look

"Of course" and with that Sophia was off to Neal's room. She would never let that little prince out of her sight if it was the last thing she did.

Snow then made her way to the palace entrance where she knew David would be gathering with the guards to go out and look for Emma.

"Charming please be careful out there. I want both you and Emma to come back safe" she said wrapping her arms around Charming's waist

"I always am Snow. I promise I will bring her home safe and sound" He replied looking down at her and then kissing her forehead

"I know you will" She said before she put her hands on his face and kissed him passionately

"Let's go men" Charming said mounting his horse and taking the lead of the search party

OUAT

Emma came to the far gate where she had snuck out originally and dismounted buttercup to unlock the gate. After walking buttercup through and relocking the gate she decided that it was not a good idea to keep the key on her person as her parents may find it. She found a small rock that had a purple color on it and picked it up. She discretely placed the key on the ground by the base of the gate and covered it with the colored rock over it so she could find it later on.

After she had effectively hidden the key she took off to the stables to try and make it look like she had been there the whole time

As soon as she got to the stable she quickly got buttercup into the riding pin and grabbed out his brush so as to give him a break from riding but also to make it look like she was doing her due diligence in taking care of her horse.

Just as she began her father and his knights came riding up to the stables and Charming's face flooded with a look of relief

"Emma Ruth what are you doing out here?" Charming said in a stern voice

"I'm just taking care of buttercup and getting in some riding time while you and mom where in your royal council meeting" She said as calmly as possible as to not give herself away

"We were worried sick. If you are going to come out here you should have let Sophia know. The poor woman feels awful thinking that you disappeared on her watch." He said dismounting his horse and coming over to his daughter

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make anyone worry" She said continuing to brush the horse and effectively avoiding eye contact with her father

Charming could tell his daughter was only telling him part of the truth. He waved to the guards that they could return to the castle and all but the two assigned to watch over the royal family began to ride back to the palace. Having guards accompany the royal family where they went had become customer since the threats that had been form both Regina and George

"Emma" Charming said coming up to Emma and placing his hand on top of her's effectively stopping her from continuing to brush buttercup and forcing her to have a serious conversation. "I know that buttercup didn't get this tired riding around the pin for the last hour."

Emma decided that if she was going to go through with her lie she had to make it convincing so she looked up at her dad and made direct eye contact "Dad, you're the one who said I'm a natural. I got her going pretty fast even just in this small space." She really hoped that her dad wasn't able to see though her lie

"Okay, I'll buy that. But why were you out here alone? You know the rules. If you step outside the palace you are to be accompanied by two knights for your own safety" He said placing his hand on his hip a bit curious to see what kind of lie she would come up with this time. He knew she had lied about the horse being tired from simply running in the stable pen but he wanted to wait before he let Emma know that

"Honestly? I get nervous with them constantly watching me. I just wanted some time alone in the fresh air, just me and buttercup" She said nuzzling the horses nose in order to break the eye contact she had been holding with her father

"Emma" David said giving her his dad look "I'm going to give you one last time to tell me the truth. What did you REALLY do?"

Emma knew she was backed into a corner. He dad had always been able to read her like an open book but she was really hoping that this time would be different but obviously it wasn't. She waited a moment and decided that she would give it one more shot. Emma had always had the philosophy that it was better to go down fighting then to take a punishment laying down

"I already told you dad. I was out here practicing my riding and I didn't bring the knights with me because I wanted some time just me and buttercup. Besides, I didn't actually leave the palace grounds so there was no need for me to bring two knights" She knew this was it. Either her father believed her or he didn't but she would do it all again if given a second chance. She knew she was old enough to be out on her own and that she had proved that by going out into the meadow and coming back completely fine with any type of supervision.

"Emma I know you are lying to me" David said placing his hand on Emma's chin to force her to make eye contact. "I don't know where you have been but I know that you have not been here at the stable this entire time. Your blatant disregard for your mother and I's rules along with your lying is going to result in a punishment that I will discuss with your mother and will inform you of later.

"DAD!" Emma began to protest but stopped after the pointed look from David that let her know this was not the time

He signaled for the stable boy to come and take buttercup back to her stall and took Emma by the arm and led her to his own horse where he got on and then pulled her up so she was sitting in front of him as they road back to the castle followed by the two knights who had been keeping watch.

Emma knew that she may have pushed the boundaries a bit too far this time but she was still determined to do the exact same thing tomorrow and once again meet the boy, Thomas at the stream that she had encountered earlier that day. The consequences were worth it in her mind. She would show her parents that she was ready to take on more adult responsibilities.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Thank you all so much for your support! I'm glad you like this story!**

 **I don't own Once or any of the characters**

 **Time for Emma to face the music. Her parents are not happy with her but, with no real evidence that she snuck out except to the stables, what will they do?**

As Emma and David approached the palace Emma's stomach began to turn. She knew that she would now have to face both her parents at once. It was one thing to face off against her father in the moment but now the guilt and the reality of what was coming had had time to sink in and it was sending Emma's head spinning. She knew she only had moment to pull herself together or else her plans to meet with Thomas the next day would be ruined.

They stopped in front of the main palace door where Snow was waiting for them to arrive. David dismounted first and then reached up and took Emma down making sure to keep a hold of her arm so she didn't try to run off to her room. He then motioned to the guards that they were free to go and to take his horse with them

"Emma Ruth where have you been?" Snow exclaimed wrapping her arms around Emma

"I was at the stables mom, it's not that big of a deal!" Emma said annoyed

Snow looked up at her husband and they had a silent conversation where he let her know he was not buying his daughters story

Snow nodded and pulled Emma away and looked her square in the eye. Emma knew this was her one and only chance to convince her mom that she was telling the truth.

"Emma...I want you to tell me the truth. Where have you been?" Snow said giving her daughter a final chance to tell her the truth

Emma took a deep breath and looked her mom back in the eyes and responded "I already told you, I was at the stables riding buttercup" and that was the only answer her parents were going to get

"Emma I want you to go straight to your room. Your mother will be up shortly" David said sternly becoming fed up with his daughters blatant lie and with that Emma was more then happy to be off to her room

Emma crossed her arms and turned on her heals to go up to her room. David signaled for one of the guards to escort her and watch over her until he and Snow came up.

"Charming what is going on?" Snow said walking up to her husband and talking in a hushed tone until she knew that Emma was out of ear shot

"Snow I saw that horse, he was way to tired to have just been ridden around the stable pen. Emma was out in the meadow or the woods but I just can't figure out how she got there without being stopped by the guards"

"David what if George or Regina had found her while she was out there?" Snow said as panic began to rush over her

"Snow we can't think that way! She's safe now and we will just have to make sure that she stays safe. She's getting older and starting to try and push her boundaries so we will just have to draw them in much thicker lines." He said pulled Snow close to him

Snow put her arms around david's waist and placed her head on his chest as they both took a moment to think and calm themselves down before going up to Emma's room. Suddenly Snow pulled away from David and look up at him. "The far gate" she said

"What?" David replied not tracking with Snow's thought process

"The far gate, that's how she got out. She snuck out one of the back staircases and exited out of the back gate. That's how she got out without anyone seeing her. David what were we thinking leaving that gate unguarded? I know we locked it but somehow she figured out a way to unlock it and that's how she escaped the palace grounds"

David leaned down and passionately kissed his wife "You are brilliant! Let's go check to make sure we're right before we head upstairs"

Snow just smiled and passionately kissed him back. "Alright, we need to go fast because if we don't confront our little escapee soon we may find her tying her bedding together and scaling down the wall from her bedroom"

"Don't worry, I sent one of the guards up to keep an eye on her for us. I figured that one escape would be followed by another" he said put his arm around her shoulders and leading her upstairs

"I love how you take care of our kids" Snow said leaning into him

"Always" He responded

OUAT

Emma made a b-line for her room. She knew it was only a matter of time before her parents would be coming upstairs. She was shocked when she looked back to see of the guards keeping step with her as she went to her room. She turned back around and rolled her eyes. Her parents would send someone to watch her.

She got to her room and tried to dodge inside and shut the door quickly to keep the guard out but he was fast and had his hand on the door before she could do so.

"I'm sorry princess, I was ordered to watch you" he said

Emma just growled and flung herself on her bed. SHe was already in trouble and now she couldn't even have a moment alone to be angry.

She sat at the foot of her bed trying to find a way to get him to leave her alone when her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her parents voice coming down the corridor

"You're dismissed" David said to the guard as they entered the room. The guard nodded and went on his way "Emma, we need to talk" David started closing the door so that they were not interrupted

"Dad I don't understand what there is to talk about. I told you both already that all I did when you went off to your council meeting was go to the stables and ride buttercup around the stable pen. What is wrong with that?" Emma said knowing that she was in too deep to go back now

"Emma Ruth you stop lying to us right now" Snow said in her voice that let Emma know that she wasn't getting away with her little stunt. "We know that you left the palace through the far gate. You forget that I am the best tracker in the kingdom. Did you really think that I wouldn't check to see hoof prints leading away from the stables?"

Emma just stared at the floor for a moment trying to find a way to legitimize her story but she knew that she was the only one who had been out to the stables that day and that she was caught red handed. Suddenly a thought came to her mind.

"Okay fine, I rode buttercup around the palace grounds. I just wanted a bit more room to ride." Emma knew this was it

Snow and David had a silent conversation. They had to give Emma credit that she really had thought of every way to explain her absence from the palace but they had tracked the footprints past the far gate so they knew she was still avoiding telling them the truth.

"Emma we are very disappointed in you" David said crossing his arms and staring straight down at his daughter "We tracked you all the way past the far gate so we know that you snuck out"

"What were you thinking?" Snow said "King George or Regina's black knights could have come after you and we never would have known what happened to you. We have rules in place for a reason young lady"

Emma was getting more and more frustrated by the minute. She couldn't understand why her parents were treating her like a child. She was almost thirteen and she deserved to be free to do as she pleased and she decided it was time to tell her parents that

"I am almost thirteen years old and the future ruler of this kingdom, I should not be treated like I'm Neal's age! I want to be treated like an adult!" Emma blurted out

"Emma do not raise your voice like that to your father and I" Snow scolded "And frankly if you don't want to be treated like a child you should stop acting like one. Adults do not purposely put themselves in danger and run off without telling people where they are going"

"And a ruler understands that ruling a kingdom comes with certain limitations, one of which is that there are always going to be threats that have to be addressed and sometimes those threats make it so they can't just do whatever they want but instead have to put the good of the kingdom before themselves" David added

"I wasn't putting myself in danger! I knew exactly where I was going and I can outrun any of George or Regina's men." Emma countered

"Emma stop it right now" David said "The more you refuse to admit that what you did was wrong the more childish you are acting and until you start acting like an adult we will have to start treating you like a child. From now on you will have a guard assigned to you at all times"

"DAD!"

"Do not use that tone with me young lady. We can't trust you to not put yourself in danger then we have to take certain precautions"

"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD!" Emma yelled

"Emma Ruth" Snow scolded "We gave you a chance to have more freedom. All we asked was that you do not leave the palace walls unless accompanied by two knights but you decided to go against our orders and not only left the palace walls but the palace grounds without so much as a note to let us know that you were gone. Not only that but you made poor Sophia worried sick"

Emma just sat on her bed with her arms crossed as tears started to fill her eyes

Charming sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand under Emma's chin forcing her to make eye contact. "Emma what is really going on here?"

"Nothing" She said angrily

"Emma this isn't like you" Snow said coming around the other side of the bed.

"I really don't want to talk about this right now" Emma said not making eye contact with either of her parents

"Have it your way Emma" and with that Snow and Charming started walking towards her door. Snow stopped and turned around to look at Emma "Emma, because of your attitude, on top of your new chaperone, you are also grounded to the palace for the next two weeks"

Emma simply looked up and glared at her parents as they walked out. How was she going to meet Thomas tomorrow?

OUAT

In the morning Emma got up remembering her punishment. She suddenly had no ambition to get out of bed. She was so embarrassed that she was going to have a guard following her everywhere that she went. She decided that maybe she could just avoid it by staying in her room all day. However he plans were foiled by the knock on the door

"Don't come in" Emma groaned

"Princess?" Came a voice from behind the door

"What do you want?"

The door opened to reveal the guard that would not be Emma's keeper

"Princess your parents have summoned you to join them in the dining room for breakfast and I am to escort you"

Emma groaned "And if I refuse?"

"Your parents said that you may say that and said that they would assign a second guard to your watch if you refused"

"I'm up" Emma said "Can I at least have a moment of privacy to get dressed?"

"Of course your majesty" and with that the guard shut the door. Emma knew she was going to have to get creative if she was going to meet Thomas again

OUAT

Snow and Charming were sitting at the dining room table with Neal with Emma walked in escorted by the guard

"Good morning Emma" Snow said greeting her daughter

"Whatever" Emma replied plopping down in her chair

"Emma, watch the attitude" her father warned

"Daddy what is that guard doing here? I could protect Emma!" Neal said feeling a bit offended by the guards presence

"I believe you could buddy, but I think it is best to let the guards do what they do best okay?" David said feeling touched by Neal's love for his sister

"You could just make me a knight then I can do it best!" Neal said

Snow gave him a sympathetic look at his simple thought process. SHe found his love for his sister so enduring but she also knew that his sister wouldn't think so.

"Maybe when you are a bit older okay son?" David said messing up Neal's hair

"Can I be dismissed now?" Emma said as she finished shoving all of her food into her mouth

"Emma you need to slow down" Snow said a bit shocked by her daughters inhaling of her food

"I'm done" she said getting up and making her way toward the door when her father's voice stopped her in her tracks

"Sit" he said in a commanding voice

Emma immediately turned around and sat back in her seat as she felt her cheeks turn red

"Emma I'm sick of your attitude. You need to apologize to your mother and I and start acting like the adult that you claim to be"

Emma gave it a minute before she realized she was only making it harder to go see Thomas by not just giving into her parents requests, even if she didn't necessarily mean it

"You're right dad. Mom, Dad, I'm sorry for my actions. I shouldn't have snuck out of the palace walls and gone riding without being escorted. I shouldn't have done that because I was putting myself in danger which is not what an adult would do. Please forgive me" Emma said. She didn't mean a word of it but she was hoping her performance was convincing enough to get her parents off of her back.

"Thank you Emma. We forgive you" Snow said giving Charming a look that let him know that she wasn't buying a word of it "You may be excused"

"Thank you" Emma said before getting up and heading back to her room

Once the door had closed David looked at his wife "That was the worst 'confession' I've ever heard"

"Agreed" Snow said adding, "You know she's doing to go try and sneak out again"

"I already prepared and placed a guard under her window"

"I love you" David said leaning over and kissing his wife

"Gross" Neal said placing his little hand over his eyes

The couple just broke into laughter. Raising two kids was going to drive them crazy but at least they had each other

OUAT

Emma got to her room and the guard was about to follow her inside when she turned around and placed her hand on his chest "I'm going to change. I'll let you know when I'm done"

"Okay princess" the guard responded as Emma shut the door.

Emma knew she only had to come up with a plan if she wanted to see Thomas. She finally decided that her best option would be to go out to the stables and take buttercup out on the palace grounds. All she would have to do is shake the guard and use the hidden key to escape.

Once she had changed into her riding clothes she opened the door and began to walk toward the palace door.

"Where are we off to princess?" The guard asked

"We're going to the stables" Emma answered as confidently as she could

"I'm sorry princess but I can't allow you to do that" The guard said taking a hold of Emma's arm

"And why not?" Emma said trying to pull away

"Your father gave me strict orders that you are not to leave the palace" The knight replied leading Emma away from the door

Emma had overlooked that little bit of her punishment but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

"That's fine" she said moving toward the kitchen. She remembered that there was a small bathroom by the kitchen that had a window she could climb out of. "I'm a bit hungry, I'm going to go to the kitchen"

"As you wish princess" the guard replied and continued to watch over Emma.

Once she had eaten some fruit she decided it was time to make her move

"I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back"

"I'll be here princess"

Emma got into the bathroom and locked the door. She found the small window and unlocked it shoving it as far open as she could and pressed her hands into the windowsill to launch herself out side. Once she climbed out she looked around to see that there was no guards in sight.

She immediately headed toward the stables to get buttercup so that she could make her escape and meet up with the boy thomas.

As she rode to the far gate she saw a single guard standing where she had hidden the key. SHe immediately jumped into action and dismounted buttercup. She knew if the guard saw buttercup running on her own that the guard would be forced to leave his post and begin looking for her.

She quickly made sent buttercup off with a slap to her hide and ran for the edge of the palace wall where she could see the guard but remain unseen. She watched as the guard came up to buttercup and started to calm her down. The guard looked around to see if Emma was anywhere in sight and then began walking the horse back toward the stables.

Emma emerged from her hiding spot and went for where she had hidden the key. She was relieved that it was still exactly where she had left it She quickly unlocked the gate and took off to find Thomas.

OUAT

"Princess" the guard said knocking on the door after a few minutes "Princess" he called again. He finally broke down the door and saw the open window and realized that the girl had duped him into getting her way. He immediately went to find the King and Queen and alert them to the princesses disappearance

"Your majesties" the guard said walking in to the sitting room where the king and queen were enjoying a cup of coffee. "I'm sorry to interrupt but your daughter had escaped me. She climbed out the window in the kitchen bathroom. I have alerted the other guards and they are out looking for her and one has reported finding her horse out by the far gate but no other signs of her have been found as of yet"

"She is asking for it" David said standing up. "Thank you for the information. I'll head out to find her right away. I'll bring her back home" David said turning to Snow and kissing her on the forehead before following the knight out to find Emma.

When they rode up to the far gate they saw it had been left wide open. David's heart began to race as he began to think of all the dangers that lie beyond that gate for his daughter. He immediately began to ride not caring if the rest of the men were keeping up with him or not. He had to find Emma before something happened to her

OUAT

Emma made it to the small creek where she had met Thomas the day before and saw the young boy with his horse.

"Thomas!" Emma cried as they got closer

"Mary! You came! I was afraid you wouldn't"

"Of course I would, I wouldn't miss it. How are you?"

"I am well, and yourself?"

"I'm well."

"Where is your horse?"

"I came on foot today instead"

"That must have been a long walk" Thomas commented

"What do you mean?"

"He means you are a long way from home young lady" Came a gruff voice from behind her

Emma turned around to see king George coming towards her with a slick smile on his face that made her stomach flip

"What...what are..." Emma couldn't get out her words as fear seized her

"Oh, didn't Thomas mention me? How could he have missed such a large detail? Oh yes...because I asked him to. Talking about meeting a small blond girl in the woods I couldn't help but notice the similarities between 'Mary' and my granddaughter Emma and had to come see for myself"

"I'm not your granddaughter" Emma spat back at him

"Whatever you are to me is no matter. All I care about is ruining your father's happiness...starting with you" George said as he seized Emma by the arm. She now understood what her parents had been so scared of when they had asked her not to leave the palace un accompanied. She hoped that somehow her father would find her


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Edited**

 **So I got so backlash for how I wrote Charming so here is a rewrite for all of you**

 **Thank you all for the encouraging reviews! To charmings88 I miss your stories and I hope you update soon! Also, I agree with you that Charming and Snow shouldn't change from who they are in Storybrooke which is why I try to keep them as true to the characters that we know and love on the show as possible.**

 **I do not own ONCE or the characters**

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King George used Emma's shocked state to his advantage and spared no time dragging her to his horse and mounting before pulling her up in front of him to ensure that he could make sure she made it alive to his castle. He wanted to hurt her but only on his terms.

Emma realized what was going and and began to fight the king as he attempted to pull her up on to his horse. She tried to punch him and pull away from his grip but one of his men came up behind her and lifted her up on to the horse. When she was on the saddle King George grabbed a rope and tied her hands in front of her and secure them to the hilt of the saddle making it impossible for her to fight him.

With that he signaled to his men to go and they rode off with the princess in tow.

OUAT

Charming reached the stream and looked off into the distance to see King George and his men riding off and caught a glimpse of Emma's blond hair on what he could only assume was King George's horse.

He immediately took off toward them. His heart was racing with fear for his daughter. What would King George do to his daughter? He couldn't let his mind go there. He felt the more he rode the father King George and his men were getting from him. He had worn out his horse and it could no longer keep up with the evil king and his freshly rested horses.

He felt his lungs deflate as he watched his daughter's captor riding off leaving him feeling like a failure. He didn't even know he was crying until he felt a tear hit his hand. He would get her back at any cost, even his own life.

OUAT

Emma was determined to free herself from King George as soon as she had the chance. As they rode Emma pulled on the ropes as much as she could trying to twist her wrists in a way that would give her enough space to slip her hands out of their bindings. The more she struggled the worse the pain got and she could see the red marks starting to spread from the obvious rope burn.

As they approached what Emma could only assume was King George's castle her heart fell into her stomach. She knew she had to escape before they got her inside or else her chances of be found were slim to none.

As they rode into the gates King George's horse came to a stop and he reached in front of Emma to begin to untie her wrists from the hilt of the saddle. The moment that the ropes were released Emma plunged her elbows back into King George as hard as we could causing the man to yell out in pain giving Emma a moment to dismount the horse and make a run for the palace gate.

"After her!" King George yelled as the young woman bolted away from her captor

The guards who were pursuing the princess began to signal to the guards at the gate to shut them before she could escape.

As the gate began to close Emma began to panic and look for another way out. She saw a gardener who was on a ladder and made a b-line for him hoping that she could climb the ladder and jump over the palace wall but as she began to change direction one of the guards cut her off and got a tight grip around her waist with his forearm that Emma could not escape.

She struggled against him but he was too strong. He walked over to where King George was standing and did not loosen his grip until King George had secured Emma's hands with the rope he had used before. Once the guard released Emma King George grabbed her upper arm and got in her face

"You think you are cute trying to run off like that? Pull that stunt again and I'll not only make your life miserable but I'll take the little brother of yours and to and make you watch while I torture him." King George hissed causing chills to run down Emma's spine. She could take someone hurting her but someone hurting her family, especially Neal, was too much for her to even think about.

"If you lay one finger on my little brother so help me I will..." Emma growled

"You'll what?" George said cutting her off "If you don't already realize, I'm the one with the power here, not you. Take her to her cell" He said throwing Emma toward what one the guards. He caught her by the arm just before she fell to the ground.

As they walked her through the corridors of the foreign castle Emma began to panic. How would her dad find her now?

OUAT

David was broken out of his concentration by one of his knights

"Your highness. What would you have us do?" he said trying not to stare at the obviously red face of his king whose tears were now flowing down his face.

David turned to his man with a fire now burning in his eyes from his sheer anger at King George. "We go to the castle and gather every abled body man and we lay siege to his castle."

With that Charming took off for the palace to gather supplies. He couldn't let his daughter spend one more minute than she had to with that horrible man.

OUAT

The guards threw Emma into the cell as she fell onto a pile of hay in the corner before they shut and locked the door. Emma curled up into a small ball in the corner and the tears began to steam down her face. The reality was finally starting to set in. She was locked in this cell with no hope of getting out and no idea of her father or anyone else even knows where she is.

Her father's words about why he wanted her to stay in the palace gates and what could happen if she left. She thought that he was just being over protective but now she realizes all he wanted was to keep her safe. That's all he ever wanted, for she and Neal to be safe. Why did she have to make it so hard for him to keep her safe? Why couldn't she just do as she was told and just appreciate that her parents cared enough to have someone look after her?

Emma swore, if she made it out of King George's castle alive, she would obey her parents without question from now on. She never wanted to end up in the clutches of King George again, or anyone else for that matter. All she wanted right now was to be safe in her palace with her parents and her brother.

Emma was so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't notice King George had come down to her cell until the sound of his voice sent a chill up her spine.

"Well lookie here. Our little princess is crying over her mommy and daddy. Well get used to it kid. The next time you see your parents is not going to be a good day so the longer you don't see them the better off you are" He spat at the little figure

"Why do you hate my dad so much?" Emma said barely lifting her head

"Your father took everything from me! Now I'm going to take everything from him. Don't worry, you won't be lonely for long. Soon I'll have your brother in here to keep you company"

"Don't you date touch my brother!" Emma screamed at the man

"And why not? If I'm going to ruin your father's happiness I'm going to make sure that I don't miss a single opportunity. Besides, don't you want some company down here?" He said with an evil grin

"My dad will never allow you to get anywhere near my brother and neither will I!" Emma said standing up and walking toward the bars to face her captor

"You think you're so brave don't you little girl. Don't worry, I'll show you just how scary I can be" He said reaching through the bars and taking Emma by the chin and pulled her face hard against the bars of the jail.

"I will get what I want at any cost and there is nothing your or your stupid father can do to stop me" He said putting his face in her's to where she could feel the air from his nostrils on her face. He pushed her face back with force that caused her to have to catch herself before she fell completely off balance.

George began to fall away as an evil grin began to make it's way across his face and a deep chuckle rang out in the dungeon, a chuckle that let Emma know that he was overly satisfied with himself and how he was going to ruin charming's happiness.

Emma did all she could to hold back any kind of emotion, wanting desperately to break into tears but knowing that she could not give King George the satisfaction of seeing her pain.

OUAT

It took no time for Charming to gather the few things that he needed to go after Emma. He knew he had to move quickly as George would do as much as he could to keep Emma as far away from Charming being able to get to her as he could and he wanted to give him as little time as possible to do so.

He gathered his men and they rode with everything they had toward's George's castle easily over taking the guards at the front gate and making his way to the front of George's palace and making his way inside and allowing a few of his men to over take the remaining guards outside while the rest followed him in to take down george and save Emma.

It take them long to get to the dungeon. Charming had the upper hand having lived in this palace at one time and knew the fastest way to get where he was going. The only thing that was worrying him was that he still hadn't seen King George but but the thought aside when he saw the small blond figure balled up in the corner of the cell.

"EMMA!" Charming yelled running up the cell

Emma lifted her head and a smile that matched that of her father's spread across her face. "DADDY!" She yelled in response running up to the bars and reaching her hand out which David eagerly wrapped in his own.

"Are you alright?" He said reaching his other hand through the bars and holding the side of her face

"I'm fine. How did you find me?" she said completely stunned that her father had found her

"As soon as the knight came in and told us that you were missing I knew that you were trying to escape. When I found out you had made it out of the far gate I came after you but I was too late and I had to watch King George ride off with you" He said as a small tear fell down both their faces

"I'm so sorry daddy! I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted..." Emma looked down and away from her father. She couldn't tell her father she had put herself in danger just to meet a boy, especially because that boy was the reason that they had all ended up here in this moment.

Charming put his hand under her chin causing Emma to look at him. "It doesn't matter right now. Right now, all I care about is making sure you're safe."

Emma gave a weak smile to her father. "Now let's get you out of here" Charming said looking back to his guard to see if he had procured the key, which he had. David put the key into the lock and opened the door allowing Emma to be free. She ran into his arms and he cupped his hand cradling her head as he always did.

He men surrounded them as the group made their way out of Georges' castle being sure to look for him or his men. Charming knew that George had ran when he saw Charming approaching with his army but he also knew that he would never stop trying to hurt his family and he would do everything to make sure that he never could.

As they reached the outside of the castle Charming mounted his horse and reached down pulling Emma up in front of him. He felt a relief run over him as Emma leaned back on to his chest. She was finally safe, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her ever again.

As they made their way up to their own palace the guards opened the gates and David and a few of his men road right up to the front of the palace so that David could get Emma inside to prove to Snow that she was safe. He dismounted his horse and then reached up and helped Emma do the same before handing the reigns to his knight.

"Let's go let your mother know you're safe" David said putting his arm around Emma's shoulder leading her in the front doors. Snow came running around the corner just as they enter the threshold and stopped in her tracks seeing her daughter standing with her father looking as young as ever. Although Emma had always put up a front that she was stronger then she truly was, but at this moment, she had never looked so vulnerable.

Snow immediately ran up to the pair and wrapped her arms around Emma and kissed the top of her head. "I was so worried" she said through her tears before pulling Emma away and looking over every inch of her. "Did he hurt you?"

"No...I'm fine" Emma said tracing the pattern in the tiles with her foot instead of looking up at her mother

Snow looked to David who gave her a sympathetic look letting her know she did truly feel bad for what she did. t Snow then looked back at Emma and placed her hand gently under her chin causing Emma to stop tracing her foot and look at her mother's face.

"Emma...we will talk about this later, but right now, all I care about it is that you are safe and unharmed. Do you understand?"

Emma simply nodded and looked back at the floor. Snow and Charming shared a heartbreaking look at one another. They hated seeing Emma like this but at the same time they knew she needed to feel some guilt about what she had done and hopefully she would remember how this moment felt the next time she thought about running away or putting herself in danger.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get washed up. Your father and I will be up shortly" Snow said placing her hand on Emma's shoulder.

Emma simply nodded and headed off to room. David turned to the guard who had followed them in as a signal to follow Emma. He knew she was feeling guilty and he didn't want her to be alone incase she decided to do something rash. The knight nodded and trailed behind the princess.

Charming walked over to snow and put his arm around Snow and the two of them watched as Emma went off to her room. Snow laid her head on Charming's chest as she wrapped her arms around his torso. "She's going to be okay right?"

Charming wrapped his arms even tighter around his wife. "Yes, she is. I'm going to make sure of it"

"We better go check on Neal. I asked Sophia to keep him in his room and placed a guard outside of the door"

He kissed the top of Snow's head. "You go ahead. I'll go to Emma's room and start this conversation. I'm still a little worried she's not going to listen"

"I'll meet you there in a little bit then" and with that she gave him a quick peck before heading off. With everything that happened he was still feeling protective of his family and motioned to one of the other guards to follow his wife. When Snow heard the footsteps behind her she gave a quick glance over her shoulder to see the apologetic look plastered all over Charming's face but understood where is worry was coming from and accepted the gesture.

Charming gave a sigh that Snow understood his motive and headed down the hall to Emma's room. "Thank you Roland" David said as he approached Emma's room letting the guard know he could step aside.

"You're welcome my king" Roland replied stepping to the side but staying close until he was given orders to the contrary.

"Emma?" Charming said pushing a crack in the door so she could hear him

"Come on in" Emma said in a small voice. He found her with wet hair curled up on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knee's which were pulled tightly to her chest.

"How are you feeling?" David asked coming and sitting on the bed next to Emma

"I'm fine" Emma replied still unable to make eye contact with her father. "Where's mom?"

"She's checking on your brother and then she'll be here"

There was a moment of silence before Emma finally spoke just above a whisper

"I'm sorry"

David simply continued to look at his daughter and placed a hand on her knee. "Thank you Emma" he said "It means a lot to hear you say that. Your mother and I were extremely worried about you when we found out you were missing."

"I know" she replied

"Can you tell me why you decided to sneak out again?" David said calmly hoping that his demeanor would convince her to tell him.

"Because"

"Because why?" David pushed a bit

"Because I wanted to"

"Emma..."

"Dad I don't want to talk about it" Emma snapped a bit. She couldn't bear to tell her father that she had snuck out to see a boy who then turned on her

"Emma, I just want to help you" David said looking at his daughter with pleading eyes

The door opened and the two looked to the door to see Snow standing there. "Emma i'm so glad you are okay" she said walking over and climbing up next to Emma on the bed and wrapping her in a hug.

Emma stayed in her balled up position only allowing the force of her mom's hug pull her over a bit before her mom allowed her to sit back in her upright position.

Charming look at Snow letting her know that he wasn't making any ground with Emma either

"Emma, we know you knew better than to go outside the palace walls. You deceived the guards but sending your horse to distract them and somehow got a key to the far gate which I know you lifted from one of them. What was so important that you had to do those things? Snow said feeling that they needed to be direct with her if they were going to get any answers

Emma buried her head in her knees desperately desiring to be invisible in this moment. She knew that her parents were already mad at her for all the things that Snow had mentioned and she did not want to add insult to injury.

"Emma...your mother asked you a question" Charming said sternly

"I went to see a friend" Emma blurted out lifting her head only enough to ensure her parents heard her so she wouldn't have to repeat herself

"What friend Emma?" David asked a bit worried. As far as they knew all of Emma's friends were the children' of their royal counterparts and they knew that they did not allow their children to be out without their own guards who would have known to bring Emma back to the castle.

"It's someone I met one time when we went into the village" Emma said hoping that her parents would buy her story

"Emma, I want to know exactly who was worth you risking your safety to sneak away and see young lady" Snow was getting a bit fed up with her daughter's antics

"Fine!" Emma said throwing her hands up finally breaking out of the small package that she had bound herself into. "I snuck out to see a boy but that boy ended up working for King George and that's how he found me. There. Now ground me to my room and bar my windows and lets get this over with" she spat out as tears began to run down her cheeks uncontrollably.

The couple shared a look between them. David wasn't sure if he was ready for this. He had always been the only man in Emma life but she must really like him to be willing to blatantly disobey them and come up with an elaborate scheme to do so.

What really made his blood boil though was the fact that this boy not only broke his little girls heart but also put her life in danger. He was ready to search every village to find him and teach him a lesson.

"Emma...I'm so sorry..." Charming said through his own tears that were rolling down his face.

"You're not mad?" Emma said looking up a bit at her father

"I'm not happy that you snuck out to see a friend, much less a boy. But I'm more upset that he hurt you and betrayed you then a thing else" he said placing a hand on her other knee.

Emma didn't know how to react, she expected her parents to be much more upset and she didn't know how to react to their reactions she was getting now.

"Emma, why don't you lay down and get some rest and we can discuss this later" Snow said getting up off the bed and pulling down the covers allowing Emma to climb under the . The couple tucked her in and took turns kissing her before leaving the room and heading to their own

"I'm impressed" Snow said wrapping her arm around Charmings waist

"Why is that?" He said wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I expected a bit more of a reaction."

"Don't get me wrong I'm not happy about boys now being a factor, but she just looked so hurt." His own hurt lingering in his voice

"I feel the same way" Snow said in her own sad voice

"We'll protect her Snow"

The two continued to walk to their room enjoying each other's presence


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry it's been so long since I last wrote. My life has been crazy with finishing up college but soon I will have a lot more time to write which I am very excited about. For all my loyal readers thank you so much for your reviews! You don't realize how much it pushes me to write more knowing that someone is reading my stories.**

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Emma woke up and noticed a guard standing in her room just in front of the door. She then remember the events of the prior day. The image of King George's face continually flashing before her eyes causing a chill to run down her spine. She shook her head in an attempt to shake the image from her brain only to have it replaced with the image of Thomas, the boy who was responsible for her capture. She still couldn't believe that she had allowed herself to be fooled into thinking that Thomas was trustworthy. She had always been a good judge of character but Thomas had somehow rendered her senses null and void.

"Are you alright princess?" Roland asked from the door seeing Emma's obviously look of discomfort

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you" Emma said sitting up a bit to address the guard.

"You're welcome princess" Roland replied bowing

Emma laid back down in her bed realizing that this was her new reality, constant eyes on her insuring that she did exactly as she was told and nothing more. She sighed loudly letting every bit of breath out of her body in order to keep her anger from growing. She understood why her parents were being so over protective but she had already felt smothered before the constant guard watch. Now she felt like a prisoner in her own home.

"Romand can you please give me a moment to change?" Emma said sitting up hoping that she could get a few minutes of alone time.

"Of course princess. I'll be right outside the door. Just let me know when you are dressed and I shall return" Roland said before bowing and dismissing himself from the room.

Emma gave him a small smile and as soon as she heard the door latch she laid back down. She was surprised it was that easy to get Roland to leave her alone. After a moment she got up and walked over to the closed door that led out to her balcony and went to open them to find them locked. In all her life she had never experienced her balcony doors being locked shut and keeping her from being able to step out onto the balcony. She had to give her mother credit, she had thought of everything.

Emma huffed in frustration but figured being that she was already out of bed she might as well get dressed like she had told Roland she would. He would be knocking in a few moments anyway asking to come back in. She picked out a set of riding pants and a tunic knowing that she was going to be in the castle all day, she wanted to wear something comfortable.

It only took her a moment to dress herself in the simple clothes. As soon as she took a step toward the door she heard a knock on the door before it opened to reveal her mother's smiling face.

"Good morning my dear girl" Snow said in her sing songy voice as she opened the door. "Emma what are you wearing?" Snow was eyeing her daughter confused at why her daughter was in pants and a tunic.

"What do you mean mother?" Emma said looking down at her clothes in confusion

"Emma why are you wearing riding pants?" Snow reiterated

"Well I know I'm not leaving the castle for a while so I figured I might as well be comfortable" Emma said shrugging off her mother's comment

"Emma you make it sound like you are a prisoner here" Snow said a bit annoyed with the dramatics her daughter had seemed to fall into

"Well I do have guards stationed both inside and outside my room and the doors to my balcony are locked so excuse me if I equate that to being imprisoned or at least on house arrest" Emma said plopping down on her bed. She knew she was being dramatic but all of it was just getting to her this morning and she felt abnormally irritable.

"Emma I understand that this is not exactly something you are thrilled about but after what happened with King George I'm not going to take a chance on your safety" Snow stated a bit more sternly then she had intended

Emma shot a glare at her mother knowing that she would only make things worse by opening her mouth. Instead she curled up on her bed with her back to Snow effectively ending the conversation.

"Emma stop acting like a child and get out of bed" Snow said standing up and crossing her arms as she looked down on the bed at her teenage daughter who refused to move

"Leave me alone" Emma replied harshly

"Emma I am not going to tell you again, you have one minute to get out of that bed or I can make your so called house arrest a much more unpleasant situation"

Emma rolled over glaring at her mother but decided that she did not want to find out what else her mother thought could be worse than what was already happening. She slowly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed but remained sitting.

"Emma I am not going to put up with your attitude. Now, lets go to the kitchen and get some breakfast and then I think it's time that me and your father had a talk with you"

With that Snow was headed out the door. As soon as she had turned her back Emma rolled her eyes but got up and followed her out. Roland and another guard, Fin, followed them to the kitchen. Emma felt like she had two over grown shadows with the two guards following her, although they did follow a bit farther back being that they were inside the castle and she was accompanied by her mother but Emma could still feel their presence which set her on edge.

As they entered the kitchen David was seated at the table with a cup of coffee but rose to his feet when he saw his wife and daughter approaching.

"Good morning by beautiful girls. What a pleasure that I get to share breakfast with you two" He said walking up and embracing Snow. They shared a short but passionate kiss which only added to Emma's ever growing annoyance at the moment.

David walked over and embraced Emma who barely hugged him back. David felt as if he were hugging a 2x4 instead of his daughter by the stiffness in her body. "Emma, what's wrong?" He asked pulling her away from himself and staring her in the eye.

Emma had not moved her crossed arms from her chest and stared back at her father with an icy glair. "I don't know. Let's put you on house arrest and see how you like it" She said before jerking away from her father's grasp and plopping down dramatically into one of the dining room chairs

David looked at Snow searching her face for answers. Emma had been so apologetic when she had returned from being George's captive but today she was acting as if it had never happened. Snow walked over and put her hand on his shoulder guiding him a bit away from where Emma was so they could have a private conversation.

"She's upset because we placed a guard inside and outside her room and locked the doors to the balcony" Snow shared not hiding the annoyance with her daughter in her voice

"It's for her safety" David said still confused by his daughters demeanor

"I agree. However Emma does not. She thinks that she is on house arrest and that we are being unfair"

"Does she not remember where she was not even 24 hours ago?"

"David we have to talk to her. Not only did she sneak out of the castle and put herself in danger, but now she is acting like she doesn't deserve any kind of punishment"

"Agreed," David said turning around and walking back to the table where Emma was still slouched with her arms across her chest.

"Emma this behavior needs to stop right now. You know that you brought this on yourself by your actions. If you did not want a constant guard watch then you should have shown us that we can trust you to make the right decision. Because you didn't, this is what has to happen in order to ensure your safety. Once you show us you can be responsible, we can give you by the privilege of being able to roam a bit more freely"

"Emma we were scared to death when we found out that you had been taken. We wouldn't be able to live without you or your brother. We are only doing this because we love you so much" Snow said sitting down and placing a hand on Emma's knee

Emma continued to stair off into the distance ignoring her parents words.

"Emma, do you have anything to say for yourself?" David said getting quickly fed up with his daughters attitude but before Emma had a chance to answer Neal came barreling down the stairs followed by a bewildered looking Sophia.

"Hello my precious boy" Snow said holding out her arms to Neal before pulling him up into her lap

"I'm sorry your highnesses but he desperately wanted to have breakfast with all of you. I tried to stop him" Sophia said looking a bit panicked

"It's fine Sophia, we understand. We will take him for here, Thank you" Charming said giving the nanny a small smile that let her know she was in no way in any trouble for the little princes actions

"There is my boy. How are we doing today?" David said walking over to where Neal was sitting with Snow and messing up Neal's hair a bit

"Can I be excused?" Emma said out of the blue

"No Emma you may not" David answered sternly "We still need to have a talk about things and I better see you drop the attitude before you decided to open your mouth again"

"Whatever" Emma said turning her head away from them. Although she was forced to be in the same room with them, she was going to show her distain for the situation

Snow looked at charming lost for how to proceed. They had never seen Emma like this before, so angry and frankly mean

"Emma?" Neal spoke up "Why are you so mad?"

"Because" Emma responded. She did not want to have to deal with her parents and her brother hounding her

"Are you upset because of King George?" Neal pressed

"Neal, I don't want to talk about it" Emma growled back

"Neal why don't you go find Sophia and play with your toys for a bit. I'll be up to your room soon and we will read a story okay?" Snow said turning her young son to look at her

"Okay Mommy!" Neal said hopping off of Snow's lap and running towards the stairs but stopping before he went up "Emma, I hope you're happy again soon" He said before turning back to the stairs to find Sophia

"Emma, honey. We want to help you. Please talk to us" Snow said leaning over to Emma and rubbing calming circles in her back

"I'm fine" Emma snapped back still refusing to turn and look at her parents knowing that if she did she would immediately burst into tears

"Emma" David said in a low voice warning his daughter she was on her final warning

"I don't want to talk about this. Can I please go back to my room?" Emma replied using all the strength she had not to sound on edge

"I think that would be best at this juncture. Your mother and I will talk about your attitude and come talk to you in a little bit and when we do you better have figured out a way to speak to us with respect" Charming replied having reached his limit with his daughter's attitude

Emma got up and walked toward the stairs without saying a word.

OUAT

Emma reached her room and fell on the bed and immediately began to sob. She was so angry, not at her parents, but at herself. She had allowed herself to be fooled by Thomas and in turn gotten herself in a lot of trouble. How could she have been so stupid? She hated herself for being in this position knowing that it was entirely avoidable had she just been thinking straight. She couldn't understand how Thomas had made her senses malfunction so much so that she had allowed herself to be bested by King George.

She wasn't actually mad at her parents, honestly she didn't blame them for taking extreme measures. However she knew that if she told her parents how she really felt that they would tell her that she was wrong and right now that was the last thing she wanted to hear

OUAT

"Charming I'm worried about her" Snow said as soon as she knew Emma was out of each shot

"I don't know what's gotten into her. She is acting like we are punishing her unjustly when all we are trying to do is make sure that she's safe" Charming said in a frustrated tone as he felt at a loss for words

"There is something more going on here Charming. This goes beyond being mad about extra guard watch and being locked out of her balcony" Snow said reaching across the table to grab her husbands hand

"That's what concerns me. What if it's that boy? What if he is threatening her or trying to get her meet up with him again and that's why she's mad about the extra precautions?" David said as panic began to creep into his mind

"I don't think that's it. I think she is more upset with herself. I think she is trying to punish herself further because she feel's so guilty"

"That would make sense then why she keeps pushing us because it's like she is trying to get us to punish her further" David said contemplating his wife's words

"That's it. She is trying to get herself punished because she thinks it will help ease her conscious" Snow said as the realization dawned on her

"I'll go talk to her, I can't handle her being up in her room punishing herself any further" David said before walking over and kissing Snow's head

OUAT

Charming walked up to Emma's room as Fin stepped aside to allow the prince entrance into his daughter's room. Charming knocked softly before slowly entering the room. He heard light sobs coming from the bed and could see Emma's little body moving up and down with each one. He walked over to her bed and sat on the edge and began rubbing calming circles in her back effectively helping his daughter to calm down.

"Shhh, it's okay baby. Daddy's here. Everything's going to be alright" he cooed

"How...Can...It...Be..." Emma managed to get out between gasps

"Because nothing you do is ever going to be too big for me to forgive. Emma the only thing that matters to me and your mother is that you are safe and that you are happy. We know that you didn't mean to get kidnapped and that you never would have gone off and met that boy if you thought something bad was going to happen"

"But I did it" Emma said rolling over to finally face her father

"Yes, but, like I said, you didn't know" David said wiping away her tears with his thumb

"But I should have known. I'm a good judge of character. I should have seen this coming" Emma said not making eye contact with her father

"Emma we all make mistakes. Love is a funny thing, it can paralyze our sense and keep us from seeing the obvious but those experiences help us to grow and become the people we are today and forever" David began to rub is hand over her hair hoping to help sooth his daughters fears

"But I should have known. I should have seen the signs. I shouldn't have ever been able to be in such a vulnerable spot" Emma protested getting a bit more frustrated with each statement.

"Shhh. Emma it's okay. No one is perfect. Next time you will know better" Charming said trying to calm her back down.

They stayed this way for a few minutes, Emma with her eyes closed and David running his hands through her hair to help her stay calm. After a few minutes Emma finally spoke.

"I'm sorry"

"I forgive you. All I want is for you to promise that you will not put yourself in danger like that again, okay?" David said with his charming smile looking down at his little girl

"I think I can do that" Emma gave a sheepish smile back

"Good. Now, why don't we head back down to the kitchen. We can make pancakes and figure out what we would like to do for the rest of the day"

"I like that" Emma smile at her father. She then hopped out of bed and David put his arm around her and guided her to the kitchen enjoying the closeness that they were sharing in that moment


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Sorry this has taken me almost a month to update. I feel like life is getting away from me but hopefully this summer I'll be able to update all my stories more regularly.**

 **Thank you for all your reviews and support!**

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Emma had been doing her best to follow her parents orders and not cause trouble which was helped by the constant guard watch. After about a week of this however, Emma was starting to feel smothered by the constant company. Thankfully though her parents had finally removed the lock on the doors to her balcony and had given her the benefit of the doubt by having the guards stand outside the door instead of having one actually in her room. She enjoyed being able to have the time alone in the morning before the day started but the feelings of being smothered returned as soon as she stepped out her bedroom door and saw Fin and Roland standing on either side of the door.

Heading into the third week of the constant company of Fin and Roland Emma felt it was time to take matters into her own hands.

She had tried to reason with her parents to drop it back down to only having Roland when she was outside of the castle but they still were not comfortable with her being unaccompanied with the threat of King George still lingering and informed her that both guards would remain posted at her door until they knew were King George was and could apprehend him.

Emma understood her parents concerns, but she didn't fully understand why they felt she needed to be guarded when she was in the castle so she decided to get away for a bit. She knew that in the evenings they would switch guard watch in order for Fin and Roland to get some sleep before they started the next day. It was the only time that her door was left unguarded which gave her the perfect opportunity to sneak out and simply go down to the kitchen for a late night snack. She knew that the guards would probably panic and tell her parents she wasn't in her room but she would be able to prove her point that, within the castle walls, she was safe and did not need the guards posted outside of her room.

She waited for the small window where she could enact her plan. She pretended to be asleep when she heard the door open knowing it was Roland and Fin making sure she was in her bed before they switched with the night team. As soon as she heard the door latch she threw off her covers and moved toward the door so she could hear their footsteps walking away. As soon as she did she quietly moved the door handle and pulled open the door in such a way that kept either of them from making a single noise.

She knew that her parents had hired extra guards since she had ben kidnapped by King George and it would be almost impossible for her to make it to the kitchen without being caught. She decided that now was the perfect time for her to try out some of her magic. She had found out at an early age that she had light magic after a temper tantrum ended with one of the chandeliers bursting into a million pieces. Since then they had been having her do weekly lessons with Blue to try and help her learn to control her emotions, and in turn her magic. One thing that her parents didn't know is that one time when Bell was visiting the castle she asked her if she knew of any books on magic and she had been practicing a few of the spells and other things, one of which was how to transport from one place to another.

Emma ran to her bedside and pulled out the book from under her mattress and opened the page to the transportation spell. She closed her eyes and focused as hard as she could on the kitchen and in an instant she was facing the ice box. She immediately looked around in awe that it actually worked as it was the first time that she had actually tried it. She immediately went to the place where she knew the cooks hid the sweets and found a few goodies that she quickly grabbed a handful of before she once again closed her eyes and focus on her room.

OUAT

"Charming we have to find him" Snow said laying on David's chest rubbing circles with her finger

"We will Snow, I promise" He said tightening his grip around his wife to try and make her feel safe

"But what about until then? Emma get's her independent streak from both of us and I just feel like we are not doing enough to keep her where we know she is going to be safe" She said pressing her hand on his chest in order to sit up and make eye contact

Charming followed suit and sat up taking Snow's face in his hands, "Snow, I know that she is a trouble maker but we are going to do whatever it takes to make sure that she is taken care of and that she's safe" and with that he planted a kiss on her lips. He always had a way of being able to distract her from even the most dire of circumstances but tonight was not one of those nights.

"I can't do this Charming" Snow said pulling away. "Something is not right and I have to figure out what it is" and with that she was off the bed, grabbing her robe, and headed down the corridor before Charming could even think of how to react.

He threw the covers off and grabbed his own robe before going after her. He didn't catch up with her until she was flinging open the door to Emma's room

OUAT

Emma poofed back into her room and surprisingly landed on her feet right in her bedroom facing her bedroom door. She looked around and was rather impressed with herself that she had actually done it. She had snuck out of her room and back in without getting caught. At that same moment her door swung open too fast for her to react. The door hit her and sent her flying backwards into her bed

OUAT

Snow swung open the door and heard a loud thunk before she saw Emma flying backwards onto her bed

She rushed to her daughter "EMMA! I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were behind the door! Are you okay?!"

Emma grabbed her head where she had hit the bed frame and closed her eyes as the pain began to cause a throbbing sensation "I think I'm fine"

"Emma don't move I'll send for Doc to come look at you"

"Dad"

"Emma" Snow said in her motherly voice

David opened the door and asked one of the guards to fetch doc before returning to Emma's bed side "Honey what were you doing behind the door?"

Emma kept her eyes closed and forced herself not to speak. She had to make sure that in her injured state her head and mouth did not betray her and give away her secret. She quickly thought of the easiest explanation and hoped it would work. "I heard a noise and I wanted to find out what it was. Apparently it was mom storming down the hall. By the way, what the heck were you doing storming into my room this late at night?" Emma said turning to her mother in a scolding tone.

"I just needed to make sure you were okay" Snow said rubbing her hand across her daughters forehead. "This whole King George thing has me on edge. I'm so sorry sweetie"

"And Emma if you hear a noise in the hallway I would prefer you find a place to hide in here not move toward the noise. That is what Fin and Roland are stationed outside your door for honey, to protect you" David said not liking his daughters strong sense of curiosity

"I'm fine dad. I'm in the castle. By the time someone got within these walls Fin and Roland would have rushed me off to one of the safe rooms. Please. I love you both but I'm feeling smothered. I need some space. I will take Fin AND Roland anywhere I go outside these walls, but in this castle, my home, I need to feel like a normal teenager"

Snow and Charming shared a silent conversation. They knew Emma was right, They could probably let up a bit, at least within the castle walls. Although they were not totally comfortable leaving her to her own devices, they kept that having both guards always on duty was probably a bit of over kill.

"Alright Emma. You have a point" Snow said before taking a deep breath. She just wanted Emma to be safe "We will drop it down to just Roland while you are here in the castle. Even your father and I have guards here in the palace" She tried to argue

"Emma we know you want to be a normal teenager, and we are trying do that for you as much as possible but there are just some things that are feasible when you're a Princess kiddo"

"I know" Emma said feeling a bit guilty. She knew her parents weren't trying to be mean, they just wanted the best for her.

Before they could finish their conversation Doc came in to check on Emma and Snow and David stepped aside to let him look over Emma

OUAT

The next morning Emma laid in bed in pain from the last nights happenings. She reached out to her night stand to find a small vile of some sort of pain killer which she quickly downed followed by a cup of water to try to run out the horrid taste. She put her hand on her head and felt the huge goose egg that had formed and knew that she wasn't going to be doing much today.

A few minutes later Snow came into Emma's room to check on her and make sure there were no effects from the hit she took to the head. She felt terrible about having caused Emma pain and was afraid that she may possibly have a concussion based on the size of the lump on her head. When she walked in she saw the lump in the covers and the blond hair sticking out from the top. She loved watching Emma sleep. It reminded her of when Emma was little and would fall asleep in the parlor to David reading her stories. The couple would always walk back to her room with David holding Emma in his arms and tuck her into her bed for the night.

If she were to be honest she missed those times when she knew Emma was safe and wouldn't try to put herself in harms way. She hated that they couldn't trust Emma right now but she also knew that in order to keep her little girl safe, they had to take any and all necessary precautions.

She walked over to Emma's bed and placed her hand over the pump which felt warm to the touch. She immediately went to Emma's bathroom and grabbed a rag and dipped it in cool water which she brought bad and placed on the pump causing Emma to stir.

"It's okay baby, I'm sorry. I just need to get this bump to go down on your head okay?" She said running her hand along Emma's face.

"It's okay mom...thanks" Emma said shyly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not too hot. My head still hurts"

"I see you took your medicine" Snow said pointing to the empty flask. "Did it help?"

"I mean I guess, I just fell back asleep"

"I'll have doc get you some more. Looks like you are going to be in bed today okay?"

"Okay" Emma replied a bit sad. She hated not feeling well but even she couldn't argue that staying in bed would be the best, her headache wouldn't make anything much fun anyway.

"Go ahead and close your eyes sweetheart. I'm going to send one of the guards for doc and then I'll be right back" With that Snow got up and did as she said and then returned to Emma's side.

Doc came shortly after with more medicine which Emma gratefully took as it would help numb the pain enough for her to sleep.

OUAT

The next day Emma woke up feeling much better then she had. The medicine along with the cold compress had helped her head tremendously and had made it so she felt like actually getting up and doing something. She got up and got dressed and headed toward the dining room with her guard escort. She had finally gotten used to her two over grown shadows and had grown to resent them less as the days went by.

As she entered the dining room Neal came at her at full speed almost knocking her completely over. Thankfully Roland had been standing right behind her and had seen Neal's movements and had placed his hands on Emma's shoulders to help bolster the impact.

"Emma! I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too little man" She said ruffling his hair

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes I am. Thank you for asking" With that she placed her hands on Neal's shoulders and pushed him back slightly so she could make her way to the table where one of the servants was setting down her plate of food

"Good morning Em" David said coming over and placing a kiss on her head before pulling out her chair so she could sit

"Morning Daddy. Thank you"

"How are you feeling? Honestly?" Snow said eyeing her daughter to try and read her body language

"I'm feeling a lot better. Promise" Emma said before digging into her food

"Good. I'm glad to hear it"

"What do you and dad have going on today?" Emma asked as she continued to scarf down her food. After being ill all day yesterday she was starving

"We have some important meetings to attend to which means Sophia and the guards will be watching over you and Neal. We expect you to behave yourselves and do as they say. If we hear anything to the contrary then we will be having a serious talk is that understood?" David finished looking directly at Emma. He and saw were starting to feel helpless as to how they were going to keep her safe, so they knew that they had to do whatever they could, even if it meant that Emma was grounded for all eternity.

"Yes sir" Emma said as a lump formed in her throat. She had other plans for today that she could only do if her parents were going to be gone, but with the look on her dad's face, she knew she was going to have to be careful in order to not get caught.

Charming watched Emma shrink in her chair at his words and really hoped that he had deterred any ideas she had of trying to sneak off. "I know you are getting older Emma, but no matter how old you are it is always my job to protect you and I need your help to make that happen okay?" Charming said making sure that he hit his point home

"Yes sir"

"Emma"

"I told you, yes sir. I get it. I need to stay in the palace under watch until you can find King George and Regina and bring them into custody. It doesn't mean I have to like it"

"Emma" Snow said leaning over and placing her hand on top of her daughters. "We only want the best for you sweetheart"

"May I be excused?"

"Yes" David answered a bit more annoyed then he meant to but with that Emma exited in a huff. Today was not off to a good start.

"Roland" David called to the guard before he left "I need you two to keep a close eye on Emma. I know she is going to try and sneak away and after King George's men's attempt to infiltrate our borders yesterday her safety is of the utmost importance"

"I understand your majesty, I promise we will keep an extremely close eye on her today. You have nothing to worry about"

"Thank you my friend"

"Your welcome. Now if you excuse me I will go catch up with the princess"

"Yes, please. Go" and with that Roland was off to catch up with Fin and Emma. Having Roland's promise gave Charming a small sense of peace, but he would still be worried about his little girl all day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sorry that this has take son long to get up. I have had major writers block with this story so I hope you like it.

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Emma arrived at her room and went to shut the door when Roland's strong hand stopped the door from latching. "Hello Princess, may I have a moment?"

"Why not" Emma said annoyed proceeding further into her room. Roland safely latched the door to the wall in order to ensure that Finn was able to see them at all times.

"I know that this is not what you desire right now but I can assure you that your father would not have us keeping guard if it was not entirely necessary"

"Roland I don't need you to defend my father. He told me that he would be dropping my guard to simply you but has not done as he promised and refuses to be honest with me about what is really going on. Nothing you say is going to make me change how I feel." She said crossing her arms and jetting out her hip in disgust.

"I understand my lady. I will return to my post but I do need to inform you that the door must remain open upon your father's request"

"Of course he did. Well I guess not only does he no longer keep his promises but he also gives no regard for my privacy!" Emma huffed going off to her closet.

Roland stepped just inside the door and watched as a bright flight flashed from inside the closet where Emma had just entered. He immediately ran towards it and only saw the crumpled dress on the floor where Emma had dropped it. He immediately ran out of the room. "FINN! Notify the King, the Princess has disappeared!"

OUAT

Emma braced herself as she hit the ground out by the riding stables. She had managed to quickly change into a riding outfit before poofing herself to the stables. She knew that Roland and Finn would be figuring out that she had escaped any moment now so she made quick work of saddling her horse and take off toward one of the far gates. She knew that she couldn't escape the same way she had before because her parents had placed guards there. What they didn't know is that Emma had been trying her magic out and she found out that she could produce a bright enough light that could blind the guards long enough for her to get through the gate. She knew it was a risk but she had to try everything she could.

As she approached the gate she let her emotions flood her mind and she saw the light ball begin to form in her hand. She let it grow a bit bigger before launching it toward the ground near the guards where the shear power threw the gates open while tossing the guards aside leaving just enough room for her to ride through uninhibited.

She let out a small shout as her plan had actually worked. She was so excited to be riding alone and letting the wind run through her hair. This was the only time that she ever felt like a normal girl.

OUAT

Finn took off for the council room to notify the King while Roland immediately went after the princess.

"Your highness'!" Finn said launching through the door a little out of breath. "I do not mean any disrespect but the princess has used her magic to evade Roland and myself. Roland is on his way to locate her but we wanted to make you aware"

"Excuse me, we will have to reschedule this meeting" Charming said nodding to the council members who understood that it was their queue to leave. David then turned to Finn "How long as she been gone?"

"No more than 15 minutes my Lord"

"Good. I will head to the stables and ready my horse"

"As will I" Snow chimed in

"My love please let me bring her back. The queen is out for you much more than she is myself and I could not bear to loose you. It would make me feel much better to know that you are safe here" David pleaded

"Charming I will not stand by when my daughter is in danger" Snow said with a stern look. David knew that there was no way that he was going to connivence his wife otherwise.

"Alright, let's get going before she get's any further" Charming said a bit defeated

OUAT

Emma continued to ride enjoying the silence that came with nature. She had missed these times when she could simply ride and clear her head without a care in the world. She knew that the threats to her family were still very real but she also felt that her parents were slightly over reacting. Yes she had been kidnapped by George but that was her own stupid fault for trusting a stranger. She wouldn't make that mistake this time.

She continued to ride past the stream were she had originally met the young boy but continued past not wanting to relive those memories. Finally she arrived at a clearing that overlooked the kingdom and she decided to stop and let her horse rest. She had never seen the kingdom like this. The people milling about in the streets made her desire to know what they were doing, what they were like. She knew that some day she would be their ruler and as she watched from above she silently made a promise to do her best by them.

The sun was starting to set and she was actually surprised that her father or his knights had not found her yet. She mounted her horse and slowly started to make her way back to the castle. She knew that she would be under twenty four hour watch when she returned and she was going to make the most out of her time of freedom.

However that time was short lived as just a few moment later the search party came upon her. What did surprise her was seeing her mother among them. Her mother must have been present when the guards notified her father of her disappearance because she knew her father did not like having his family where they would be in any danger. However she also knew that her mother was as stubborn as herself and would not have taken no for an answer.

As the group approached Emma did her best to avoidEye contact with her parents and fall in line with the guards as they surrounded her and brought her into the fold as a protective measure. Unfortunately her tactic did not work well as her parents then moved in to flank her on either side. Charming brought the group to a halt and dismounted his horse.

"Emma come down here please" He said in a low voice that let Emma know it was more of a demand then a request. She quickly complied still looking at the ground as much as she could.

"Young lady what in the world were you thinking?" David said sternly. However his rant was interrupted by the sound of hoofs charging toward them. David Immediately broke out of the group of guards that were surrounding him and his family to see what the sound was. Snow then immediately dismounted and placed her hands firmly on Emma's shoulders as to make sure that her daughter did not try to follow.

"What is that?" Emma said trying to pull away from her mother who quickly tightened her grip on her daughter by placing an arm around her waist.

"Emma say here! Your father will take care of this. Your job is to stay safe" she said in a no nonsense voice that let Emma know that moving toward her father would not fair well for her.

Snow's own fears were beginning to creep in but they were quickly replaced with the fierce desire to protect Emma at any cost. Snow's initial reaction was to get her and Emma on a horse and ride away but she knew that, by mounting the horse, it would give away their presence to whom ever was approaching which was not what they wanted at this time. She just really hoped that Charming would protect himself and that they could quickly get past this and bring Emma home.

OUAT

David felt his blood run cold as the black knights approached. He really hoped that Snow and Emma would stay on the ground so as to be hidden behind the horses and the guards and not alert the enemy of their presence.

"What do you want?" David hissed at the knight that stopped in front of him.

"You know what we want. Give us Snow white"

"Over your dead body. Besides she is not here so you can be on your way" David said through clinched teeth.

"We have seen her out here with you. We aren't leaving without our prize to give to our queen" The guard yelled back.

"Well you were misinformed. Now, get out of my kingdom before I change my mind about letting you return to your queen" David said through gritted teeth.

"We will return and we will bring our queen her prize", the knight yelled out befor turning and riding off with the other guards following.

David watched to make sure they were far out of sight before reentering the group of horses and guards surrounding his family. "Are you two alright?", he said coming in and embracing them both

"We're fine. What did they want?" Snow asked feeling still frightened at the encounter

"They wanted you" Charing replied with a heavy heart. "The queen still wants you as her prize and they vowed to return again" Davis said still in a state of shock as the idea of losing Snow began to sink in and it rocked him to his core.

Snow gently placed a hand on his face. "They will always fail because you will always protect me. Protect us" she said grabbing Emma's hand.

Emma had never seen her father so shaken by something. She herself was in shock by the words he has uttered but more so by the realization that her father was not invincible as she has always believed. His weakness if you will was his family...was her and she hated herself for preying upon that weakness even if unknowingly. Tears began to build up behind her eyes and she didn't want her parents to see so she quickly tried to pull away but her mother kept a tight grip on her hand not allowing her to leave.

David finally broke the silence "I will always protect you Snow, and our family and I will never let that evil witch near any of you" he said. The fire that burned in his eye scared Emma a bit because she knew that he was determined more than he had ever been about something and nothing would stop him and a fear for her father immediately seized her heart. She loved him so much and she could never live with herself if she was the reason her family no longer had him in their lives.

"Emma" Davida voice finally broke through. "Are you okay?" He said concerned. Emma's face has pailed a bit and she was starting off into the beyond.

"Yea" Emma quickly replied shaking her head. "Can we go now?"

Snow and Charming exchanged concerned looks but quickly ablidged with Snow riding her horse and Emma riding with Davis. He wasn't about to give her another opportunity to run. As they got closer to the castle Emma felt the knot in her stomach grow bigger and bigger knowing the conversation that would take place when they arrived home. When the approached the main entrance Emma felt Charming place a firm grip on her arm as he dismounted and then reached up and helped her off. He and Snow immediately took to Emma's room as to have some semblance of privacy.

"Emma I want to know what the heck you were thinking using your magic to avaid Roland and Finn when we specifically told you that you were to stay here today?" Charming said a bit frustrated with his daughter. He could understand her need for personal space but not at the cost of her life.

"Daddy I'm sorry. I just want to feel like a normal girl! I feel smothered by Roland and Finn constantly watching over me like a hawk. I can help! I know there is something you aren't telling me!" Emma exclaimed in frustration. She wanted to be part of the solution, not a damsel in distress.

"Emma our job as your parents is to protect you, not walk you into enter. Sometimes there are going to be things that are better off with your mother and I handling them" Davis said almost pleading with his daughter

"I'm not a kid anymore, I can handle whatever is going on. I don't want to be left in the dark anymore!" Emma replied passionately

"You will always be our kid" David said taking Snow's hand "And nothing will change that. Trust us that we are only doing what we feel is best and when we can let you in on information we will"

"Which is why we are going to share with you a little bit of why we are on high alert" Snow said giving David a look that let him know it was time. "King George's men attempted to infiltrate our boarders a few days ago. We know he is specifically after you and Neal which means we can take no chances. You said you wanted to help? Help us by cooperating with us to make sure you stay safe" Snow finished placing a hand on Emma's leg.

"Okay" Emma said looking down at the bed

Charming and Snow shared a silent conversation, they still weren't convinced Emma was on the same page with them


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Hey Guys! Sorry it has been so long since I've updated this story. I had kind of lost some inspiration and this will probably be the last chapter that I write as I am focusing more on my other stories. Hope you guys like it!**

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Over the next few weeks Emma was surprisingly obedient to every order her parents said, and was happily abridging to be accompanied by Flynn and Roland where she needed to go. Before the incident with Regina's knights, Emma had done everything in her power to evade ever order she was given, hence the incident. But now, it was like she was a whole new Emma, she was almost timid and the drastic change greatly bothered Snow. Finally, after two weeks of this 'new Emma', she decided she and Charming needed to take some action.

"David this is not normal" She said putting her tooth brush back in his glass.

"Snow, I agree, this isn't our normal Emma. But wouldn't you rather her be obedient and staying safe than trying to galavant off like she was before?" He replied getting into bed.

"Charming of course I want her to stay safe, and it has been a bit of a piece of mind knowing that she is obeying our orders and that Roland and Flynn have been able to keep her close. But I also miss our fun loving, trouble making, dare devil daughter." She said more seriously. She didn't understand why Charming was seeming to try and dismiss the subject.

"Snow, I'm sure that the incident with Regina's knights is what is causing this. Maybe she needed the scare of her life for her to realize why we were so animate about her following the rules. Maybe she is just a little scared that something like that will happen again which I personally don't feel is necessarily a bad thing" He said sitting up a bit and looking Snow in the eye. He wasn't really understanding why Snow was so worried about the fact that Emma was finally doing what they had asked of her.

"That's just it! After you came back into the fold of the knights to check on us, did you notice how upset Emma was? I don't think that this is a matter of her being afraid for her own safety, that has never been something that she has cared about. I think there is a bigger fear here that we need to address" She said taking his hand.

"Snow if you think we should talk to her about this then we shall. I have never questioned your motherly instinct when it comes to our children and I'm not going to start now" he said with a smile and placed a hand on her face. "Now, can we get some sleep so we are ready for said conversation in the morning?"

"Thank you" She said closing the gap between them and giving him a passionate kiss. "I love you Charming. Thank you for taking my concerns seriously"

"Always my love" He replied before returning her kiss.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast Emma entered accompanied by Roland and Flynn and quietly took her place at the table "Good morning mommy, daddy" She said politely. She had also started calling them 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' like Neal did. They both loved it but it also was a bit strange. Charming was finally starting to see where Snow's concern was seeming from.

"Good morning honey" Snow said

"Good morning Em. How did you sleep?" David asked while giving Snow a concerned look which sparked one of their silent conversations

"Fine. Can you please pass the rolls?" Emma said quietly. Snow complied but knew that this conversation was going to need to happened sooner rather than later. Just then Neal came bounding into the dining room following by Sophia running after him.

"Good morning Mommy and Daddy!" He belted out in his usual chipper way.

"Good morning sweetie! Thank you Sophia for all you do, I know Neal can be a bit of a handful" She said giving the care taker a small smile.

"It's my pleasure you're majesty" Sophia replied before stepping off to the side

"How did you sleep buddy?" David said reaching over and messing up his hair.

"I slept real good! Can we go horse back riding today? Or can we go on a walk? Or can we..."

"Take a breath big guy" David said with a smile "We can do something together today okay?"

"YEAH! Emma do you wanna come with us?" Neal asked excitedly

"What?" Neal's question had broken Emma out of her own thoughts

"Do you wanna do something with me and Daddy today?" Neal asked again while shoving another piece of bacon into his mouth. Emma's face immediately turned to one of panic before she quickly fixed a small smile on her face. However, she wasn't quick enough for her parents. Both saw the brief moment and shared their own look of concern. It wasn't like Emma to panic over the idea of her family spending time together.

"Like what Neal?" She said a bit hesitantly.

"We were going to go horse back riding..."

"No" Emma said immediately. The looks she got from everyone, she knew her cover was blown, but she was going to have to try and recover anyway "I mean...how about we do something in the castle? Like maybe we can do sward lessons?" she suggested

"Okay! Daddy can we do that?" Neal turned to his father excited

"That sounds great buddy" David said with a smile to his daughter, trying his best to calm whatever nerves she seemed to be having.

"Sophia, would you mind taking Neal to the nursery?" Snow said noticing Neal had quickly inhaled his food and she wanted to talk to Emma.

"Of course your majesty. Come along little prince" She said as she helped him get down from his chair and exit the room. Emma tried not to look up from her plate where she was pushing around the last little bits of fruit on her plate. She knew her parents were going to try and talk to her but she really didn't want to talk to them.

"Emma?" David said in a gentle tone. "Is everything okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine. Can I go back to my room now? I have some homework I need to finish up before my lessons this afternoon" She said standing up, but Snow gently put her hand on Emma's and nodded for her to take a seat which Emma reluctantly complied to.

"Emma we know something is wrong" Snow said moving a small piece of hair behind Emma's ear. "What has you so concerned?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. I just don't want anything to happen like when we ran into Regina's knights. I am obeying all of your orders" She said still avoiding eye contact.

"Emma, we are very happy that you're abiding by our rules. Your father and I appreciate knowing that you are staying safe. But there is something else bothering you" Snow said

"Emma, please tell us" David said walking around and sitting on the other side of his daughter.

Emma took a moment trying to hold back the tears that were quickly building up behind her eyes. "I..." suddenly she began to sob. David quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest as the tears continued to pour down her face. He was so glad he had listened to his wife's advice and talked to Emma. They felt horrible that she had been holding in all this emotion for the last two weeks. Once she finally calmed down David allowed her to sit up and he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the last few stray tears.

"I'm sorry" Emma said using her sleeves to wipe off her face

"Emma there is nothing to be sorry for. We always want to know if something is bothering you" Snow said taking her hand

"After we ran into Regina's knights...I was really scared...not because they tried to hurt me...but because...because they tried to hurt you" Emma said looking at her dad. That immediately caused David to shed a few of his own tears. He realized that all of this had been because Emma was worried that something would happen to him. That's why she had been so passive. She was afraid that she would do something that would cause him to get hurt.

"Oh Emma" David said wrapping her once again in his embrace. "I am so sorry that you have been worried about me. Our job is to worry about your safety, not the other way around. I'm so sorry that you have been carrying this around with you for this long. Is that why you seemed so concerned when Neal suggested going horseback riding?" Emma simply nodded into his chest "Emma look at me" He said lifting her head into his hands "I will never put myself in a position where I could get hurt unnecessarily. But, I will _always_ put my life in front of you or your mother or your brother, because you mean more to me than anything in this world, do you understand?"

"Yes Daddy" Emma said as a few more tears streamed down her face "But what if something happens to you because of me?"

"Emma, that's why your father and I have put the rules in place that we have. We love that you are adventurous and free spirited and we don't want you to change in that way at all. We just ask that you allow that free spirit to be free within the boundaries that your father and I have set up. Does that make sense?" Snow asked

"Yea, mommy. I understand. I was just so scared to do anything because if anything happened, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself" Emma said looking down

"Hey, if something happened to us protecting you, that would never be your fault, that would be whoever was coming after you, it would be their fault. Now, you can help us by not opening yourself up to danger" David said with a smirk "But there will be times where things happen that are unavoidable, you can't blame yourself, okay?"

"Okay"

"Emma, we love you so much" Snow said placing a rental hand on her cheek "From now on, can we agree that you will come to us if something is bothering you?"

"Okay" Emma said with a smile "I love you guys!" She said wrapping an arm around each parent. The three of them enjoyed the sweet moment together. They were glad they were able to take that burden off of their daughters shoulders. She should never have to feel that kind of pressure for something that was not her fault.

"Now, can we have our Emma back?" Snow said breaking the silence. They all laughed for the first time in two weeks.

"Yea, as long as you can handle it" Emma said with a smirk. This caused both Snow and Charming to roll their eyes. They knew that they were in for a wild ride through Emma's teen years, but they would rather have their daughter back and deal with that then loose the Emma they loved.

"I think we can handle it" Snow replied. They all shared a final hug and then went about their day knowing that things were finally going to be getting back to normal.


End file.
